Having lived the challenge of gluten free and MSG free for a year now, I have come to realize that the best way to avoid products with these ingredients is to make them myself. Cream of Mushroom soup is especially difficult to find without both of these ingredients. I have found that making my own is not as hard as I thought it would be and is definately much tastier. I found the original recipe in the Soup Bible, but it was not gluten free. So I converted it to gluten free as well as a few other alterations to make this wonderfully simple soup that can be used as a base for a casserole or eaten plain. I make mine in bulk and freeze, so it can be just as convienient as pulling a can off he shelf but much more nutritious and with no worries about what is in it.
I use a mixture of mushrooms, but you can use just white button mushrooms. With the white mushrooms, you will get a milder mushroom flavor and a white soup. A mixture of mushrooms, will give you a more robust mushroom flavor and a darker soup.
I also use coconut oil instead of sunflower oil, which the original recipe uses, because coconut oil is a much healthier oil. It is full of vitamins as well as healthy fatty acids. I do still use the butter they call for in the recipe because there is nothing that can replace the flavor of butter. Butter is natural too and I will always go for natural over synthetic products like margarine.
The original recipe does not use garlic, so you can make it without if you do not like garlic. I love garlic. Luckily, garlic is extremely good for you too. You can increase the amount of light cream to make a richer soup, but I like to keep it as it is written.
10 oz. Mixed mushrooms (white button, cremini, portobello)
1 TBSP Coconut oil
3 TBSP Butter
1 Onion, minced
1 TBSP Corn Starch
2 C. Vegetable stock (I use organic gluten free)
2C. Milk (I use organic whole milk)
a pinch Dried Basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
2-3 Tbsp Light cream
Separate the mushroom caps from their stems. Slice the caps finely and mince the stems.
Heat the oil and the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onions and mushrooms. Fry for about 1-2 minutes and then put the lid on the pan and sweat for 6-7 minutes. Half way through the sweating process, add the pressed garlic. Stir occassionally.
Stir in the corn starch and cook for about 1 minute. Gradually add the stock and milk to make a thin, smooth sauce. Add the basil and season to taste.
Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. You will want to keep it partially covered to keep it from boiling over.
Cool the soup slightly, then pour into a blender or food processor and blend unitl smooth. If you are eating this immediately, add the cream and any fresh basil for garnish. If you are going to store, pour into hot sterilized jars leaving an inch at the top. Put a lid that has been boiled on and its ring and stick jar in the freezer. The hot soup will vacuum pack the jar with the rapid cooling in the freezer. Use within 6 months.
I use a mixture of mushrooms, but you can use just white button mushrooms. With the white mushrooms, you will get a milder mushroom flavor and a white soup. A mixture of mushrooms, will give you a more robust mushroom flavor and a darker soup.
I also use coconut oil instead of sunflower oil, which the original recipe uses, because coconut oil is a much healthier oil. It is full of vitamins as well as healthy fatty acids. I do still use the butter they call for in the recipe because there is nothing that can replace the flavor of butter. Butter is natural too and I will always go for natural over synthetic products like margarine.
The original recipe does not use garlic, so you can make it without if you do not like garlic. I love garlic. Luckily, garlic is extremely good for you too. You can increase the amount of light cream to make a richer soup, but I like to keep it as it is written.
10 oz. Mixed mushrooms (white button, cremini, portobello)
1 TBSP Coconut oil
3 TBSP Butter
1 Onion, minced
1 TBSP Corn Starch
2 C. Vegetable stock (I use organic gluten free)
2C. Milk (I use organic whole milk)
a pinch Dried Basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
2-3 Tbsp Light cream
Separate the mushroom caps from their stems. Slice the caps finely and mince the stems.
Heat the oil and the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add onions and mushrooms. Fry for about 1-2 minutes and then put the lid on the pan and sweat for 6-7 minutes. Half way through the sweating process, add the pressed garlic. Stir occassionally.
Stir in the corn starch and cook for about 1 minute. Gradually add the stock and milk to make a thin, smooth sauce. Add the basil and season to taste.
Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. You will want to keep it partially covered to keep it from boiling over.
Cool the soup slightly, then pour into a blender or food processor and blend unitl smooth. If you are eating this immediately, add the cream and any fresh basil for garnish. If you are going to store, pour into hot sterilized jars leaving an inch at the top. Put a lid that has been boiled on and its ring and stick jar in the freezer. The hot soup will vacuum pack the jar with the rapid cooling in the freezer. Use within 6 months.
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